Leaving others behind

To separate from others, to leave behind those who choose not to change, that’s a big step but it allows us a certain amount of freedom to explore new ways of doing things. But I don’t think it serves any useful purpose to make value judgements about those we separate from. Some sort of separation is a necessary evil, but we don’t need to make it any more difficult than it needs to be, like having less regard for those who don’t agree with us. It’s surely enough to break away from the norm without going further, by accusing others of being deluded because they support the predominant values of their society. If we’ve made significant changes to our own attitudes and behaviours there’s no need crow about it. As vegans we can enjoy all the advantages (of our plant-based diet and lifestyle) but we should avoid leaving friends and family behind. If we abandon certain aspects of traditional lifestyle it doesn’t mean we have to abandon friends, or make it a condition of our friendship that they are supportive. A threat of friendship-withdrawal is usually a response to our being ignored or rejected, and vegans should be bigger than this. It serves no one’s interests to quarrel with our adversaries or trash their feelings. And in terms of strategy alone there’s nothing to be gained by using shaming tactics.